Quarter 2, Blogpost #9 (1st Semester Reflection)

During this first semester in physics, we covered a lot!! The first unit we covered was on 1-deminsional and 2-demensional kinematics. Kinematics is the study of motion. Following our kinematics unit, we practiced graphing kinematic related problems. The second unit we covered dealt with Forces and Motion. We were instructed to memorize Newton's 1st, 2nd, and 3rd laws. The equation to find force is Fnet = ma or the Net Force = mass x acceleration. I learned that the unit for force is called a "Newton" or kg m/s^2. I felt like the PA’s for this unit covered so much and we did so many practice problems. But, I think all that practice paid off. After all of this, the most memorable lesson I took from this unit is WEIGHT IS NOT MASS!!! Weight = mg (: Momentum was the next unit we covered. The equation for momentum reads p = mass x velocity and its unit of measurement is kg m/s. We were continuously reminded that Momentum in = momentum out, meaning that momentum cannot be created nor destroyed, it can only change forms. The unit of momentum also tied into our unit on energy, which also followed a similar law of conservation. The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created nor destroyed, it can only change forms. I learned about the potential energy of gravity, the potential energy of a spring, and kinetic energy. I learned about the equations used to find each of these components. Throughout this semester, I really learned a lot and I hope that second semester is filled with many more fun lessons.

Quarter 2, Blogpost #8

This is the third time I've forgotten to do my blog post, so this is my blog from the week before (: Last week we learned about types of energy. We were taught about the potential energy of gravity, the potential energy of a spring, and kinetic energy. The equation for the potential energy of gravity reads, PEg = mass x gravity x height. The equation for the potential energy of a spring reads, PEs = 1/2 k(spring constant) x distance ^2. Lastly, the equation for kinetic energy reads, KE = 1/2 mass x velocity ^2 . The units of energy are Nm (Newtons x meters) or J (Joules). In this picture, my little sister Ilikea and I are walking up the stairs in our house. Using components from this picture you would be able to calculate both our potential energy and kinetic energy. To find our potential energy, you would multiply our mass in kilograms, by gravity (9.8 m/s^2), and then by our height change (the height of each stair added together). In order to find our kinetic energy you could calculate half of our mass multiplied by our velocity squared. You could use the equations of PEg and KE for each of us to find our individual potential and kinetic energy.

Quarter 2, Blogpost #7 (Egg Drop)

Last Wednesday, just before Thanksgiving break, our class held our "egg drop". My partner was Kanoe Sakamoto and our assignment was to create a capsule that could contain an egg and protect it from being broken after being thrown 3 stories from Akahi dining hall. So to begin this project, I honestly had no idea how to start. In 5th grade we did the same type of thing but our capsules could use parachutes, these ones couldn't. Therefore, because I was unsure of what to use to make this experiment successful, I decided to do a search on Youtube for ideas. I came across one girl who used three sponges, hiding the egg within a middle sponge and connecting all three using string. This mechanism worked for her, so I figured I'd give it a try. So I bought the supplies and tested my recreation and it worked!(: With that being said, my egg drop was a success, keeping my egg from breaking when thrown 3 stories. The lightness of the sponges kept the egg from falling at such a high velocity, increasing its contact time with the egg, decreasing the capsules linear momentum. I really liked this experiment, just because it was an interesting way to learn about momentum hands on. But yes I got my idea for this experiment from youtube, but its not called cheating, its called working smart, not hard (:

Quarter 2, Blogpost #6

This blogpost was supposed to be done last weekend, but once again, I forgot about it, so am deciding to make it up now. This series of pictures were taken today while I was showing my sister how to field a ball using the back hand technique. Since we were in the 10 and under division, our coaches have constantly stressed how a back hand catch is a different from a forward hand catch. When fielding a ball on your glove hand side, you want to step into the ball and catch it as soon as you can. With a back hand catch, you want to "ride" the ball and give it as much time as you can for it to settle in your glove. When "riding" the ball, you are also increasing its contact time. This week we did a balloon toss activity where Mr. Blake showed us how to catch the balloon in a way that would increase its contact time and reduce its force. This is exactly the same when it comes to back handing a ball. In these photos, you can see how instead of stabbing at the ball and trying to pick it up in front of me, I draw my hand back and upward, giving the ball a type of cushion to increase the time in which the ball makes contact with my glove, reducing the force it uses to hit my glove, bettering my chances of catching it. Back hand catches are my fav (:

Quarter 2, Blogpost #5

In addition to learning about linear momentum this week, we have also covered a second concept, impulse. Impulse is the force average multiplied by the length of time two objects are in contact and its SI units are N*s = kg* m/s. I know this example was given in the book, but my sister and I were practicing today so it seemed like itʻd be smart to just take my picture then haha (: So anyway, when the ball comes in contact with the bat, the force between the two rises rapidly to a very large value. Because it is extremely difficult to describe the way the force varies, what is looked at is the average force that is exerted by the bat and then it is multiplied by the length of time the ball and the bat were in contact. The total cycle of this scenario first takes place when the pitcher pitches the ball. The ball travels in the direction of the batter at a certain velocity. Both the bat and ball then come in contact with each other and what happens is (like I explained) the force between the two objects rise to very large values and then drops again to zero. Then the ball accelerates back toward the pitcher with a certain velocity in the opposite direction. Therefore, this is one of the easiest scenarios to help someone understand impulse.

Quarter 2, Blogpost #4

This weekend, our blogpost assignment needs to include what we learned from reading Chapter 9: Momentum and Collisions. From reading, I've gained a slight understanding of the meaning of linear momentum. Linear momentum is the product of m (mass) and velocity (v) of an object. In other words, it is the momentum of mass m moving in a straight line with a velocity v. The equation looks like this: p = mv. The SI unit for momentum is kg x m/s. For my picture example, I recreated an example that was given in the book. I had my mom drop a teddy bear and a rubber ball, consisting of the same mass m and the same downward velocity v, causing the two to hit the floor. The teddy bear comes to rest once it hits the floor. It's momentum changes from mv downward to mv upward, in the opposite direction. The rubber ball bounces back upward once it hits the floor with a velocity v. Its change in momentum is 2mv upward. Its direction changes and its momentum is multiplied by two, for its momentum going downward and upward is the same.

Quarter 2, Blogpost #3

So this is supposed to be last weekends blogpost, but I forgot to do one and was distracted ALL week by spirit week so I haven't gotten around to doing it until today. But anyway, this picture relates back to what we've been learning in Unit 4 about forces. We just recently took our Unit 4 exam and on the exam was this problem, "A 50 kg gymnast hangs vertically from a pair of parallel rings (one in each hand). If the ropes supporting the rings are attached to the ceiling directly above, what is the tension of each rope?" This problem can also be paired with the picture above of our plastic bag holder. Although the bag is attached to one rope rather than two ropes, it is similar because in both cases only one weight is being used. In the problem, the two ropes share the weight of the gymnast. In the picture, to one rope shares the weight of the bag. The answer to the problem was 250 N, because the weight of the gymnast was being split between the two ropes, creating the even tension. The rope or strap in the picture above would also have one tension (sort of like how the example problem had an equal tension) because when you have "one rope" you get "one tension".

Quarter 2, Blogpost #2

This week we've been studying types of forces and learning to creating free body diagrams. A force is simply a push or a pull. A force is determined by both magnitude and direction, making it a vector. Different types of vectors include net forces, contact forces, frictional forces, and balanced forces. Net forces are forces that are unbalanced. For example, if you stand on one leg and can't remain still and are leaning to one side, there is a net force acting on you. Contact forces are forces that take place when at least two objects are touching. Frictional forces are forces that oppose motion or impending motion. Lastly, balanced forces have no acceleration but could be moving at a constant velocity. In this picture, the tennis ball on the graph has two forces acting on it. The first force is the force of gravity. Gravity creates the downwards pull, keeping the ball on the ground. The second force acting on the ball is called a "normal force" A normal force is a downward force of gravity being opposed by an upward force. The normal force acts upward on the force of gravity, causing the pull of gravity and the push from the ground upward on the ball to be balanced, meaning no acceleration.

Quarter 2, Blogpost #1

Last Friday, our class had our ring social on Konia field. After everyone received their rings, we had an ultimate dodgeball tournament (: Here is a picture of our team, "TAXi SONO QUi" meaning, "The Cabs are Here!" (Haha its from Jersey Shore). So in this picture, the boys wanted to do a huddle and do that thing where you rock back and forth. Us girls were all in, then they started moving too fast so we started resisting, and the whole rocking idea didn't really work out too well. We girls presented an example of "Newton's First Law of Motion" stating that objects in motion will tend to stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside, unbalanced force. The swaying of our huddle would have stayed in motion but it was acted upon by an opposing, unbalanced force, the three girls. We three stopped swaying, causing a resisting force that kept the boys who were in motion to stop as well.

Blog Post #7

My entire family loves to watch and play football. If you know me well, this might seem a little weird being that the majority of my family is girls and that I don't have any boy relatives who live in Hawai'i that play football. But my dad is a huge football fan so we watch professional, collegiate, and high school football all the time.

This picture is a visual of what my dad uses his finger to draw on the football when he plays with me and my sisters outside in the yard. He'll run his fingers along the seems of the ball and say, "okay, so run ten steps till you hit your sister, cut left and run 10 steps towards uncle's truck, then cut right and run five steps".

This route is made up of vectors. Vectors explain "which way" and "how much". So in "physics terms", my dad is telling us to travel 10 steps North, 10 steps west, then 5 steps east in relation to our position from the defender (purple x).

Blog Post #6

This week, we've taken a break from kinematics and have moved on to learning about vectors. A vector is a mathematical quantity with both a direction and a magnitude. In more simplified terms, vectors explain "which way" and "how much". In this picture I've captured two "Equivalent Vectors" (hence the title in brown). To be equivalent, both vectors must be drawn to scale and maintain the same direction. This photo gives an example of two vectors, both 19 cm in length and both pointing in the same direction. Color has absolutely nothing to do with being equivalent, so the fact that one vector is blue and the other is purple doesn't matter. I just wanted to make my picture a little more colorful (: So I swear I haven't looked at anyone else's blog yet, but Mr. Blake, I'm going to bet that I'm not the only one with this idea haha. Being that you told us that taking a picture of arrows was the easiest :p

Blog Post #5

A SERIES OF EVENTS...

So my original plan was to upload a video of myself riding the "GREEN-MACHINE", but......it didn't work! So I decided to take screen shots from the recording and create this "series of events...": a step by step display of the ride I took on the Green-Machine (:

Riding this contraction (I'm not too sure if its classified as a bike or something), involves many kinematic elements. Kinematics deals with distance, scalars, vectors, displacement, average speed, velocity, and acceleration. When I began my ride, I started about 40 meters away from the green garage door you see in the background. This would be classified as the "total distance" traveled. My "displacement" was also 40 meters being that I did not ride back to my starting point. My complete ride consisted of me accelerating down the street then accelerating back up the street in order to come to a complete stop. I relate my journey to how you would throw a ball up in the air. When a ball is thrown in the air, its acceleration going up goes: fast, slow, stop (peak). Coming back down, its acceleration goes: stop(peak), slow, fast. I relate my journey to acceleration of the ball when traveling upward. I accelerated up the street quickly, then slowed down, and swerved roughly to a stop. Trust me, stoping suddenly on this thing isn't as easy as it looks. It takes balance because the tires are pretty slippery. I actually don't have very good balance, so I'm not too sure how I'm able to pull this off :p But anyway, that was my day + physics (:

Blog Post #4

This entire week, we've still been practicing formula problems involving kinematics. All of our problems involve these variables: distance(d), acceleration(a), time(t), final velocity(V), and original velocity(Vo). As one of our examples, Mr. Blake used an Expo pen to give us a better understanding of acceleration. He threw the pen up in the air and caught it at the same level as when he threw it. He then explained that the pens velocity traveling upward as well as the pens velocity traveling downward is the same when caught at the same level. This afternoon, after my younger sister and I were finished practicing throwing, our youngest sister brought out her glove and started doing this:

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as she continuously threw the ball up and caught it at the same level, it reminded me of the demonstration we had in class. As my sister threw the ball, its velocity going upward and downward remained the same. We try to practice with her as often as possible so she can be good like us ;p (just kidding) But just like physics problems, practice makes perfect.

Blog Post #3 (Olympics Lab)

During the week, we studied the relationships between distance and time through our Physics Olympics Lab. We observed the relationships by looking at four different activities: bunny hop, balance walking, gentle jog, and sprint. Each activity was timed and done for a 50 meter distance. It was concluded that as the distance increased so did the time it took to cover the distance. This concept is relatable to our kinematics unit because it is the study of movement and we move in different ways everyday. This is the razor scooter I've had since I was in 1st grade. Every time my distance increased, so did the time it took to cover the area. This scooter has covered a great distance in its lifetime. As you can see, by the missing cushion on the handle bar, my scooter is pretty worn out. I've used it for everything; to get to softball practice, to ride to my uncles house, and to ride just for fun. After all of that, she's still going strong. See mom, I told you I'd use it more than once (:

BlogPost #2 (Kinematics)

So today was clean the yard day for my sister and me. I had to cut the grass while she trimmed the tree. It was really hot, but luckily there was a strong breeze. Strong enough to take the straw hat from my sisters head and send it flying down the street. She chased it down the street traveling about 40 meters. Although she traveled a total distance of 80 meters, her displacement measurement was zero. Distance is defined as total length of travel while displacement is defined as the change in position. From the hat back to our house, my sister traveled a total length of 80 meters. But from the hat back to the house, she traveled forward 40 meters then turned around and walked back 40 meters, causing her displacement to measure zero. This displayed an example of kinematics.

BlogPost #1

Here is a personal photo I took of my sister ‘Ilikea jumping on our trampoline. As a kid, we all have the ambition of flying, but due to physics, this ambition will never be able to come true. No matter how hard she pushes off the trampoline or how much she swings her arms, she is only able to stay in the air for a limited amount of time. Due to the gravitational pull the earth has on us; Isaac Newton’s law of gravity comes into play, “what goes up, must come down”. Therefore, she is able to hang in the air for a while, but eventually must come back down.

Introduction and Who You Are

Aloha! My name is Lehua Gould. I am a sixteen-year-old junior at Kamehameha Schools Kapalama campus. I was born on January 25, 1995. I am from Kapolei, O’ahu and live at home with my parents Robin and Gilbert Gould and my two younger sisters Hau’oli and ‘Ilikea Gould. My favorite hobbies are playing softball, sing and dancing, and spending time with my family.

Throughout high school, I’ve proceeded through Biology, Chemistry, and am now currently enrolled in physics. I took biology in 9^th grade with Ms. Arce and chemistry in 10^thgrade with Mr. Kim. Science has not always been my best subject but I definitely have learned many things through both classes. Biology has taught me about the study of living organisms as well as about the plants and animals of a particular area. In Chemistry we studied the substances of which matter is composed and how these substances interact, combine, and change. I plan on taking science all four years throughout my high school carrier and look forward to learning about Physics this year. In addition to taking science all four years, I also plan on taking math all four years. I took Honors Geometry in 9^th grade with Mr. Ogata and Algebra 2 in 10^th grade with Mrs. Tesh and am now in Pre-Calculus. As a result of completing this Physics course, I hope to obtain more knowledge of both Biology and Chemistry combined and new things about nature and properties of matter and energy. I hope that the things I’ve learned in Biology and Chemistry help me through Physics.

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/hou/galleries/coug-softbl-stadium-051005/SoftballField5-lg.jpg

This picture of a softball field represents my second home. Almost every other weekday as well as every weekend you can find me here apposed to anywhere else. This photo represents me as an individual because my personality, morals, and characters have been shaped through softball. I as a person am respectful, a hard worker, and a team player due to all that I’ve learned on this field since I was five years old. This is one of my favorite places in the world and this field has helped to shape me into the individual I am today.